101: Real Talk About Performance Anxiety

Performance anxiety is something I’ve struggled with for years, despite playing hundreds of times as a collaborative pianist. In this solo episode, I'm openning up about my personal journey with stage fright, how it shows up unexpectedly, and what strategies have helped me manage it. I’m sharing real talk about nerves, preparation, and tips you can use for yourself and your students.

• Rachel shared her personal experience with stage fright and performance anxiety.
• How frequent performances as a collaborative pianist shaped her confidence.
• She highlighted how anxiety can still appear suddenly, even after years of experience.
• How her anxiety is often triggered by feeling she needs to prove herself.
• The challenges of performing in unfamiliar venues or with new audiences.
• The importance of acknowledging nerves without shame.
• The impact of being judged, especially during grad school performances.
• Rachel explained how breathing and physical awareness help calm anxiety.
• She encouraged focusing on musical phrasing to direct energy away from fear.
• She recommended mock performances and rehearsing in the performance space.
• The importance of a mindful, slower starting tempo.
• Rachel suggested normalizing mistakes to reduce fear of imperfection.
• The value of teachers performing for and with their students.
• She encouraged teachers to challenge themselves to perform, even in low-stress settings.

Links Mentioned

• Get your SUPER EARLY BIRD tickets for TopMusicLive 2026 here.
• TMPP 100: The Teacher Who Shaped Me as a Pianist with Dr. Un-Young Whang
• TMPP 038: Tips to Perform with Confidence

About Rachel Ehring Dr. Rachel Ehring is a pianist, teacher, music administrator, and lover of piano teaching gadgets. She holds a DMA in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado Boulder and a MM in Accompanying from the University of Kansas. She currently serves as Director at St. John’s Conservatory of the Arts in Orange County, CA. Previously, she held positions at Concordia University Irvine and Henderson State University. Rachel is passionate about empowering music teachers to create engaging and exciting lessons for students of all ages. When she isn’t playing the piano, you might find Rachel reading books with her son or walking her beagle Frieda.

• Visit her website at RachelEhring.com
• Visit her Instagram page: @rachelehring
• Visit her YouTube channel: @dreamlavendermusic6694
• Visit her Etsy shop at Dream Lavender Music

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